The Great 6G Spectrum Debate
Date, hour and room to be defined
Organizer
- Marja Matinmikko-Blue (Univ. Oulu, FI)
Motivation and Background
The radio spectrum is a scarce but renewable natural resource, which is vital for wireless communications. Spectrum decisions by the regulators ultimately define the markets for years to come. For decades the mobile communication sector has successfully secured new harmonized exclusive spectrum bands for mobile network operators (MNOs) to deploy the latest cellular technology generations through global World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) process at the ITU-R. Several countries have introduced local spectrum licensing in 5G opening the mobile market to new entry despite strong stakeholder resistance. 5G spectrum decisions also alerted the sector about coexistence challenges with incumbent spectrum users with potential interference incidents.
Debate around 6G spectrum has started and WRC-23 opened the door to study specific frequency bands for 6G. The mobile communication sector is interested in the lower bands below 15 GHz despite research efforts in the terahertz regime. The incumbent spectrum users resist any new mobile spectrum allocations in the bands they are using. The voices of end users or entrants without power are barely heard in the spectrum process. Very few researchers take part or even know how to contribute. The research community has actively proposed techniques for more dynamic and flexible spectrum access in the cognitive radio era a decade ago with 27 000+ papers in IEEE Xplore but failed to consider actual stakeholder needs, characteristics of incumbent systems and the underlying regulations. As a result, proposed spectrum sharing techniques using cognitive radio system capabilities have remained as unused as the spectrum bands they claimed to access.
Spectrum management in the 6G era needs to consider more flexible and dynamic approaches to spectrum access based on spectrum sharing for reaching long-term compromises between conflicting stakeholder claims. This will impact 6G development as different ways to access the spectrum need to be integrated into the technology development from the beginning instead of posing restrictions afterwards. Finally, sustainability as the globally agreed overarching design principle for 6G has to cover the scarce spectrum resource to develop sustainable spectrum management so that our actions today do not limit the range of options open to future (human and technology) generations.
Questions
- What should be done differently in spectrum management in the 6G era?
- How to bridge the gaps between academic research, companies’ conflicting agendas and regulators’ decision-making process?
- Who should pay for what in the context of spectrum management?
- What could sustainability mean in 6G spectrum management?
- Questions from the audience will follow.
Participants
The panel is composed of (see CVs below):
- Chair: Marja Matinmikko-Blue (Univ. of Oulu/6G Flagship, FI) (moderator)
- Eiman Mohyeldin (Nokia, )
- Martha Suarez (Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA), )
- Doriana Guiducci, European Communication Office (ECO),
- N.N. (participant)
Marja Matinmikko-Blue
Marja Matinmikko-Blue is Director of Sustainability and Regulation at 6G Flagship and Research Director of Infotech Oulu at the University of Oulu, Finland. She has a Doctor of Science degree in communications engineering on cognitive radio systems and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in industrial engineering and management on stakeholder analysis for spectrum sharing from the University of Oulu. She is adjunct professor in spectrum management. She has been conducting multi-disciplinary research into the technical, business, and regulatory aspects of future mobile communication systems in close collaboration with industry, academia, and regulators for over two decades. She has published 200+ scientific papers and prepared 160+ contributions to regulatory bodies at national, European and international levels.
Eiman Mohyeldin
Eiman Mohyeldin is the global Head of Spectrum Standardization for Nokia, responsible for defining and executing Nokia’s spectrum standardization strategy and leading Nokia’s worldwide engagement on spectrum matters with customers, regulators, authorities and partners. She is actively involved in the World Radio Conference (WRC) process, participating in the WRC conferences and preparatory meetings (CPM). Eiman has also led and contributed to groups for the IMT technology process, e.g. recently the ITU-R WP5D Drafting Group Usage Chairperson. Eiman Mohyeldin is electronic engineer specialised in Communication Engineering. She has two decades of a professional experience in radio research and spectrum regulation and standardization at Siemens, Nokia Siemens Networks, Nokia Networks and now Nokia.
Martha Suarez
Dr Martha Suarez is President of the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance and has over 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry. In her current role at the DSA she advocates for laws and regulations that will lead to more efficient and effective spectrum utilization, which is essential to addressing key worldwide social and economic challenges. She spent over three years as General Director of the National Spectrum Agency in Colombia, having originally joined the ANE in 2013. Before that, she was awarded with a Marie Curie Fellowship and worked at the Instytut Technologii Elektronowej ITE in Poland for the Partnership for Cognitive Radio Par4CR European Project. Suarez is an electronics engineer, with a master degree in high frequency communication systems and is Doctor in electronics from the University Paris-Est.
Doriana Guiducci
Dr. Doriana Guiducci is a spectrum expert at European Communications Office, the permanent office of the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT). Her main areas of responsibility regard the CEPT preparation to the World Radiocommunications Conference. She is also involved in spectrum engineer studies on various matters, including for the development of regulation for WAS/RLAN in the 6 GHz band and for Short Range Devices. She is also responsible within ECO for cooperation and liaison with academia and research bodies. Her previous experience was with Fondazione Ugo Bordoni, the Italian research institution supporting the Public Administration in spectrum matters and ICT policies. She was head of the competence centre on ICT Policies and responsible for several research activities and projects, including pilot experiments for the shared access to spectrum. She completed her master degree and PhD in electronics and computer science at the University of Bologna.
